The top-selling smartphone in 2025 so far might surprise you – here's why

The latest numbers are in, and Apple still reigns supreme in terms of cellphone sales, but there has been a bit of a shakeup. 

Counterpoint Research has released its Global Handset Model Sales Tracker for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the 10 most popular cellphone models by global sales. 

Also: I test dozens of phones every year: Here’s how Apple and Samsung stack up

As no surprise, an iPhone leads the way. It’s the base model, though — the iPhone 16 — that was the best-selling smartphone model of the first four months of this year. What’s interesting is that this is the first time in two years that the base variant of an iPhone series was in the top spot. 

The iPhone 16 Pro Max and 16 Pro filled out spots two and three, and the iPhone 15 took spot number four. It’s not until fifth place that a non-Apple device makes an appearance with the Galaxy A16, followed by the Galaxy A06, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Notable here is that last year’s Samsung flagship, the S24 Ultra, was the fifth best-selling phone at this point in 2024, marking a fall of two spots.  

The Redmi 14C from Xiaomi, a popular phone in the Middle East and Latin America, takes up spot number eight. It’s the only model outside of Samsung and Apple to make the top 10.

The Galaxy A55 and iPhone 16 Plus rounded out the top 10.

There are a few things we can take from this study. 

First, a non-Pro model of the iPhone is what most people want. The largest and premium model in the iPhone 16 lineup was the second most popular, followed by the next model down. For the first quarter of 2024, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best-selling device. 

Additionally, with President Trump’s impending tariffs impacting electronics prices around the globe, manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are pushing more refurbished models. With several older models appearing on this list, it appears that the push might be working. 

Also: Why I prefer this rugged Samsung phone over flagship models (and it looks just as good)

Both of those factors are likely a result of current economic conditions and an overall reticence to spend.  

Another interesting aspect of this study is that the low-end smartphone segment (under $100) was the fastest growing category in the first quarter of 2025, accounting for 20% of global smartphone sales. 

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